


> 

/ 



Conservation Resources 
Lig-Free® Type I 
Ph 8.5, Buffered 



F 2808 
.088 
Copy 1 



ARGENTINE 
REPUBLIC 



j 



DELIVERED BY 



Lieut-Commander Juan S , Attwell 



Cornell's Cosmopolitan XSlub 
March 2, 1907 




The Argentine Republic has made a new record for 
itself during the year 1906, when its foreign commerce 
reached the unprecedented total of $563,000,000, of which 
the imports amounted to $270,000,000, and the exports 
to $293,000,000. Four years ago the imports and ex- 
ports only totaled $280,000,000. At this phenomenal 
rate of increase eight years from now the foreign com- 
merce of Argentina should pass the $2,000,000,000 mark. 
The present record, however, is enough to place Argen- 
tina far in the lead of other countries about which we 
hear much more. The Dominion of Canada, for exam- 
ple, peopled as it is by a sturdy race, equal in num- 
ber to those that toil in the Argentine Republic, has yet 
to reach Argentina's total foreign commerce; and 
Japan, with its aggressiveness, its industrious and clever 
population, eight times larger than that of Argentina, 
is also behind Argentina in matters of foreign com- 
merce, and so is China with her 400,000,000 of in- 
habitants. 

If we turn to other Latin American countries, we 
find that Mexico, on the border of the United States, 
and with a population more than double that of Argen- 
tina, has a foreign commerce nearly three times smaller 
than Argentina, while the foreign commerce of that 
great empire of wealth, Brazil, with a larger popula- 
tion than Mexico, in 1905 was less than two thirds that 
of the Argentine Republic. 

We all admire the English people who have made 
Canada what it is today. We all admire the push and 
energy that characterize the Japanese people, and we 
are all aware of the great progress made by Mexico 



V: ; V 



and Brazil, so it is far from my mind to speak in any 
way disparagingly of these countries, nor have I the idea 
of supposing for an instant that the man reared in Ar- 
gentina is any better than the man reared in any other 
part of the world. It all depends, then, on a condition 
of soil and of climate which permits the raising of di- 
versified crops most needed for the sustenance of man 
and beast, and moreover, to the fact that there is in 
Argentina a decided willingness of nature to generously 
respond to the labors of husbandry. 

It is mostly due to this favorable natural condition 
that while in 1888 there were only 6,000,000 acres un- 
der cultivation, in 1905 there were 30,000,000 acres un- 
der the plough, an increase that was quite out of pro- 
portion with the total increase of population during the 
same period, which was not much over 1,000,000 in- 
habitants. 

If we take into consideration the population of dif- 
ferent countries and sum up their imports and exports 
and then calculate the proportion of the total foreign 
commerce that corresponds to each inhabitant, we find 
that each person of Argentina is entitled to over $100, 
each person of the United States is entitled to $35, 
each person of Brazil to $20, and each person of Mex- 
ico to $15, while the Republic of Uruguay, which is 
only separated from Argentina by the River Plate, 
looms up with $75 per inhabitant. 

When all the arable land of Argentina shall be culti- 
vated, instead of 30,000,000 we shall have 300,000,000 
acres under the plough, leaving a balance of nearly 
300,000,000 acres more for the purpose of raising sheep 
?nd cattle, so that you can see that the future of Ar- 
gentina's agricultural and pastoral industries is prac- 
tically boundless. It is estimated that 300,000,000 peo- 
ple will be able to live and thrive in the plains of Ar- 

2 



gentina, where at present there are only two persons 
for each square kilometer, while in Germany, for ex- 
ample, the density of population is 104 persons for each 
square kilometer. 

Argentina today occupies a unique position among the 
nations that are attracting the attention of rnankind 
as worfcl|£)roducing countries. Its fine system of rivers 
which constitute a magnificent means of communica- 
tion between Buenos Ayres and the very heart of South 
America, and which come flowing down from the re- 
gion where the rubber trees grow wild, linking 
Brazil, Paraguay and Bolivia with the capital of Ar- 
gentina, as well as the railroad lines that cross the 
country in all directions and will also join by rail 
Chili, Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay with the mouth of 
the River Plate, where Buenos Ayres stands, have 
solved the great problem of transportation and have 
done more than anything else to hasten the era of 
great prosperity that the country is now enjoying. The 
rich soil, the beautiful climate, the means of transpor- 
tation are there, and these advantages have not been 
overlooked by the toiling masses of Europe and more 
than 2,000,000 foreigners have already gone to Argen- 
tina. The current of immigration has never been larger 
than at the present time, and last year 260,000 immi- 
grants came into the country and it is now surmised 
that this year this figure will be left far behind, since 
120,000 immigrants are booked to arrive during the 
first three months of the present year. Outside of the 
United States with its 80,000,000 of inhabitants, its im- 
mense resources, and situated at a week's distance from 
Europe, no other country in the world is attracting the 
number of people that are now flocking to Argentina, 
eager to spread themselves over the boundless and fer- 
tile plains where land is yet relatively cheap and needs 

3 



no artificial fertilizer, nor artificial irrigation for that 
matter, and where the winters are so mild that vegeta- 
ble life does not perish and shelters are not thought of 
for our flock of 120,000,000 sheep and our herd of 
30,000,000 head of cattle. 

Foreign capital is also pouring into the country at a 
rapid rate and it is now known that about $1,300,000,000 
of English money alone is invested in Argentina and 
enterprises connected with Argentina and more than 
$500,000,000 from other European countries. North 
America alone has so far stood aloof from competing 
with other countries in the race for high and sure divi- 
dends which Argentina has always yielded to the intel- 
ligent investor. I may say that while the Argentine 
people bought $39,000,000 worth of goods and agricul- 
tural machinery from the United States, last year, the 
people of the United States only bought $13,000,000 
worth of hides, quebracho and coarse wool from Argen- 
tina, and yet we are always hearing at this end of the 
line that the balance of trade between the United States 
and South America is decidedly against the former. It 
is precisely the contrary in the case of Argentina. As a 
matter of fact, the United States sells nearly as much 
goods to Argentina alone (and is increasing its sales 
at the rate of $10,000,000 per year), as to all the other 
South American Republics put together, and for this 
reason, if for no other, we believe that we are entitled 
to a special hearing when it comes to a question of ad- 
justing commerce. It is also very litle known that 
American imports into Argentina are now second only 
to those of England and consequently superior to those 
of Germany, to which country we send a great quantity 
of our wool crop, free of duty, while wool is taxed in 
America at the rate of 11 cents per pound, and hides 
are also heavily taxed. 

4 



It speaks very well for the excellence of American 
industry that in spite of serious tariff drawbacks at 
this end, about $200,000,000 have found their way from 
Argentina to the United States during the last decade to 
pay for American goods, and if we take into consider- 
ation the rapid increase of American exports to. Argen- 
tina, it is easy to conclude that in the next ten years 
over $500,000,000 more will also find their way from 
Argentina to the American manufacturers, while less 
than $150,000,000 will leave America to pay for the 
imports from Argentina during the same time, therefore 
leaving a balance in favor of the United States of 
more than $350,000,000. This is not a theory, but a 
condition, and these figures show more than anything 
else the necessity of improving the means of commu- 
nication between the two countries and of establish- 
ing banks to handle the great volume of money that 
is passing between them, without having to pay un- 
necessary tolls to London banking houses and to Eng- 
lish ship-owners, as has been done in the past and is 
being done at present and will continue to be done 
until the American people will do something more than 
merely sell their goods cash down to the persistent 
Argentine purchaser. 

I shall not enter into a detailed description of the 
different industries of the country which can be ob- 
tained from and hand-book about Argentina, nor shall 
I dwell on this occasion upon the advances we have 
made in manufactures, because it is impossible to con- 
ceive a country having reached the stage of develop- 
ment and general prosperity that Argentina has reached 
without granting that manufactures must have kept 
pace with all other pursuits, especially when it is re- 
membered that there is no lack of raw material for 
the artisan to transform into a finished product. 

5 



I shall also leave to clever magazine writers the 
description of our capital city, Buenos Ayres,, with 
over 1,100,000 inhabitants, larger, therefore, than Balti- 
more and Boston put together, and which is the second 
largest sea town in the Western Hemisphere. Buenos 
Ayres has been called a great city by President Roose- 
velt in his last annual message to Congress, and it 
called forth the admiration of the Secretary of State, 
Mr. Root, who, by the way, was received in the harbor 
of Buenos Ayres by the Argentine students who had 
graduated in this country and who came to me, headed 
by the founder of this Club, Mr. Modesto Quiroga, to 
help them obtain a government boat which was decor- 
ated with the flags of the different American universi- 
ties, and who took this opportunity to manifest their 
deep appreciation of the kindness shown them in this 
country. For this reason Mr. Root's first impressions 
of Argentina were obtained through the students who 
received him with the hearty college yells peculiar to 
this country. 

As an indication of the business activity of the city 
of Buenos Ayres, it is sufficient to say that the transac- 
tions in real estate during the year of 1906 amounted 
to more than $100,000,000. I understand these figures 
have not been exceeded by Greater New York during 
the same period of time. Besides, over $25,000,000 were 
devoted to the construction of new private dwelling 
houses. 

The country at large has awakened to a realizing 
sense of its usefulness and land values have multiplied 
during the last five years, the price of living has in- 
creased and labor is scarce from the Atlantic to the 
Andes and from Tierra del Fuego to the borders of 
Bolivia. Our port facilities are not sufficient to accom- 
modate all our shipping, our railroads are in want of 

6 



more rolling stock to carry our crops, booming condi- 
tions in this respect being similar to those prevailing 
at present in the United States. 

We have capital, we have labor, and we have enter- 
prising men, but we need more capital, we need more 
labor, and we need more enterprising men to help us 
steer the ship of state through the channels of pros- 
perity. More railroads must be built, canals must be 
opened, more ships must be constructed for the navi- 
gation of our rivers and new avenues and subways 
must be cut through our congested cities. These are 
only a few of our pressing needs and serve to show the 
possibilities that the country offers to large investors 
seeking immediate returns. The cry of progress is al- 
ways more progress and we feel that we have just 
started in the career of producing wealth, possibly be- 
cause we are only now beginning to realize the full 
meaning of its attending responsibilities, which we are, 
of course, far from wishing to shirk and are striving to 
meet in every way. 

If from works of such importance which require 
millions of dollars for their completion, we turn to the 
man of small means wishing to make a start in life, I 
can say from personal experience that Argentina offers 
to such a one opportunities rarely found in more thickly 
populated countries where competition is much greater 
and where the existence of powerful trusts are every 
day reducing the field of usefulness of the independent 
business man. And that we need and want young men 
who have some knowledge to impart to others less for- 
tunate than themselves is amply proven by the fact that 
the Argentine government is expending big sums of 
money to educate a large number of such young men 
in Europe and in this country, so that when they re- 
turn they can exchange views with those who are ac- 

7 



quiring the same sort of knowledge at home in our 
own institutions of learning, and all can then aid with 
their advice, their energy and their enterprise in the 
general development of the country. For this pur- 
pose the doors of the American universities have been 
open to our college boys and I take this opportunity to 
express on behalf of my government its sincere and 
earnest appreciation for this service. 

I only wish to add that Mr. Root in his addresses 
has pointed out with clearness that the leading coun- 
tries to the south of the United States have gone so 
much ahead already as to warrant a continued era of 
prosperity for them and to preclude the possibility of 
their ever turning back to the time when political dis- 
turbances were common among them. In Argentina, at 
least, the wilderness has been vanquished by the steel 
lail and the marauding politician has been left without 
a trade. The statesman and the husbandman have the 
country in hand and are doing their best to place it and 
keep it in the lead of those nations which are for- 
tunately capable of yielding the products needed to feed 
and clothe a large portion of mankind. 



Conservation Resources 
Lig-Free® Type I 
Ph 8.5, Buffered 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



I 



015 916 794 A • 



